An integrated circuit (IC) is a set of electronic circuits on one small plate (“chip”) of semiconductor material. ICs can be made much smaller than a discrete circuit, which is made from independent electronic components. ICs can be made very compact, having up to several billion transistors and other electronic components in a very small area. As an example, a single chip can house an entire Central Processing Unit (CPU).
The temperature of a chip housing a CPU may rise when instructions are executed by the CPU. However, if the temperature of the chip rises to high, it may cause components of the chip to temporarily malfunction or permanently fail.
Thus, there is a need for a chip that can better protect itself against temporary malfunction and permanent failures due to an excessive operating temperature.